the 2021 deficit revised to 24.6 billion, “far less” than expected according to Olivier Dussopt

The account is good, if not positive. The Social Security deficit has been reduced by a third in 2021, to 24.6 billion euros, announced Tuesday, March 15 the Minister of Public Accounts, Olivier Dussopt, hoping that this “balance much less degraded” what was expected “a positive effect” this year and beyond.

With this loss of 24.6 billion, social security remains even lower than its trough in 2010 post-financial crisis. But after the abysmal post-Covid record of 38.7 billion in 2020, the recovery is spectacular.

The last budget, voted in December, still counted on a deficit of 33.5 billion, even if the economic recovery already augured better results. Thanks to a surplus of growth, Social Security saw its revenues rebound by 9.7% last year, collecting more contributions (3.9 billion), taxes (1.5 billion) and levies on the self-employed (1 billion) than expected.

It also recovered 1.8 billion euros provisioned for payment deferrals granted to companies, including “the ability to cope is greater than we imagined, which is good news”said Olivier Dussopt during a hearing before the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee.